


It's Not Over Yet

by shewritesall



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dad!Tony, Fix-It of Sorts, Iron Man - Freeform, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Son!Peter, Spider-Man - Freeform, Spideychelle, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:33:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall
Summary: It's the aftermath of Infinity War (don't worry, it's a fix-it).  Everyone returns to earth and is reunited with their teams, family, and friends.  Eventually, though, they had to finish up the clean up from their most recent battle against Thanos.  Unfortunately, not everything Thanos destroyed can be fixed.This is really focused on Tony Stark and Peter Parker as a father-son relationship, though the other Avengers are all actively involved.





	1. Chapter 1

"I think we just have to crush it,"  Steve said.  Tony frowned.  It seemed too simple now that Thanos wasn't wearing the gauntlet and they had it in their hands.  "He said they were all trapped in it, right?  Well then, if we crush it they'll be released." 

"Or they'll be crushed too,"  Natasha pointed out.  "We have no way of knowing for sure."  They all glanced over to where Thanos was laying on the ground, dead and without his head (courtesy of Thor).  It had been hard trying to kill him, but they had finally managed it and now they had all the infinity stones and the gauntlet in their hands. 

"If we crush it and it crushes them, we won't be able to save them,"  Bruce said.  "Maybe we should do more research." 

"We don't have anything for research!"  Shuri exclaimed.  Okoye rubbed her back as tears sprang into her eyes.  "My brother is gone and if crushing that damn stone might bring him back, then we should do it."  She glared at Steve who was about to contradict her then turned to Okoye.  Although she wasn't incredibly fond of physical touch, Okoye hugged Shuri who had begun to sob. 

"Alright,"  Steve said, nodding.  "Who thinks they can crush it?"  Thor stepped forward and Steve nodded at him.  If anyone had a chance at breaking the stone, a god seemed most likely.  Everyone stepped back from the gauntlet as Thor raised his axe.  He looked down at the stones and was tempted to break them all, but decided against it for the time being.  He brought his axe down and the soul stone shattered.  They all stared down at the shattered yellow pieces.  It seemed to simple. 

"Is that all?  There's no big boom or anything that signals something happened?"  Tony asked.  Thor looked back at his team and shrugged. 

"There's only one way to find out,"  he said.  "We return to the place we lost them and see if they reappear." 

* * *

Tony paced back and forth on the orange ground, repeating in his mind everything that had happened.  He was worried that if he didn't think about something, he would go crazy, so he chanted what had happened back on earth to himself.   _We killed Thanos.  We crushed the soul stone.  Peter should be back.  We killed Thanos.  We crushed the soul stone.  Peter should be back._   The chant rang through his head nearly three dozen times before something moved.  He stopped in his tracks and looked up from his pacing.  Something was shimmering in the air.  It looked like... glitter?  He moved closer to it and it went from a few small specks to a large cloud of dust and seconds later, Star Lord appeared.  Soon after him, Drax and then Mantis followed by Doctor Strange.  Tony, although glad to see them, didn't relax until he saw Peter appear from the dust and collapse to the ground.  Tony couldn't seem to move, but Peter could.  He got up from the ground, dusting off his suit then looked up to see Tony. 

"Mr. Stark?"  he asked softly.  Tony nodded and Peter ran towards him.  Tony didn't even care that the kid accidentally tripped and collapsed on top of him.  He was just glad to have him back after two years without his constant chatter.  "I was so scared.  It was so scary.  Mr. Stark, I never want to go back, it was so scary."  Peter was crying as he clung to Tony and Tony would be lying if he said he wasn't crying too. 

"It's okay,"  he muttered, clinging to Peter just as hard.  "You're okay now.  You're not going back.  It's over now."  Peter didn't let go of Tony for a long time.  After awhile, though, the Guardians announced they should probably get back to earth.  Tony managed to get Peter to let go of him enough they could walk onto the ship but as soon as they were seated, Peter returned to clinging to Tony. 

"Your kid there has some grit,"  Quill said.  Tony looked up from Peter to see Quill steering the ship.  "Stayed pretty calm for the most part.  He's young still, isn't he?" 

"16,"  Tony answered.  Quill nodded solemnly and Tony looked back down at Peter.  Was he 16, though?  It had been two years since the beginning of Thanos.  Did Peter age in the soul stone?  Maybe he was 18 now.  Oh god, he hadn't had an 18th birthday party.  

"I'm sorry,"  Quill muttered.  No one spoke again as they flew back to earth.  Tony was alright with that, though.  All he wanted to do was make sure Peter was alive and with him as if the steel grip around his torso wasn't enough evidence. 


	2. Chapter 2

When they landed in Wakanda, the Guardians were the first ones off the ship.  Doctor Strange followed shortly after spotting Wong among the group waiting for their return.  However anxious Tony was to see the other Avengers, his first priority was Peter and Peter was not going to leave the ship without a great deal of convincing.  He refused to let go of Tony and whimpered every time Tony tried to pull away.  Tony didn't blame him, though.  If he had been in a battle like the one they had just been in when he was 16, he would probably be pretty shaken up too. 

"Come on, kiddo,"  Tony said, rubbing Peter's back.  "The other Avengers are out there and want to make sure you're okay."  Peter pulled his head up from where he had buried it in Tony's chest and frowned. 

"Aren't they fugitives?"  he asked.  Of course Peter wouldn't know about how things had changed. 

"Not anymore,"  Tony answered.  "Now come on, we have to go prove we're alive."  Peter nodded and let go of Tony enough so they could stand up.  He stayed glued to Tony's side as they walked off the ship and outside.  

The first Avenger to see them was Steve.  He smiled warmly at Peter who gave a shy smile.  Steve recognized him from the airport battle years ago, but it was the first time he had seen Peter with the mask off and he was horrified to see how young he was.  Natasha saw them next and gave Tony a nod, a small smile on her face when she saw Peter beside him.  When Rhodey saw them, he broke away from his reunion with the others that had been trapped in the soul stone and hurried as fast as he could over to Tony and Peter.  In the years between the Leipzig battle and the battle against Thanos, Peter had spent a lot of time with Tony and had gotten close to Rhodey as well.  However, he was reluctant to leave Tony's side even to hug Rhodey.  Rhodey sensed this and didn't hug him for long. 

"I'm glad you're alright, kid,"  he said.  Peter nodded sharply, focusing on the forest around him. 

"Where are we?"  he asked.  He was pretty sure they weren't in New York anymore, but he wasn't exactly sure where they were. 

"Wakanda,"  Rhodey answered.  He pointed to where T'Challa was clinging to Shuri, Nakia, and Okoye.  All three were crying.  "That's the King; the Black Panther."  Peter nodded, looking away from the reunion as he felt like he was intruding on them.  He smiled at Bucky and Sam who were both talking to Steve.  Steve was obviously trying not to cry but wasn't doing too well. 

"How long have we been gone?"  Peter asked, turning from Bucky and Sam to look at Tony. 

"Two years,"  Tony said quietly.  Peter didn't seem too shocked.  He just nodded and looked down. 

"It felt longer than that,"  he told him.  Tony squeezed his shoulder and Peter tried to smile as he said, "I guess I'm a legal adult now."  Tony frowned and shook his head. 

"No, it doesn't count if you don't celebrate it,"  he said.  "You're still sixteen." 

"But that means Ned's older than me!"  Peter complained.  Tony rolled his eyes.  "Can we have a double birthday party so I can be 18?  We'll just pretend we had it before, though, so I'm still older than Ned." 

"We'll see,"  Tony said.  Peter gave him a look and Tony sighed.  "Fine.  But it has to wait until everything has settled and we're back home."  

"Deal,"  Peter agreed.  Tony was glad to see this time Peter's smile seemed almost normal.  It wasn't nearly as big as it usually was, but it wasn't sad and it wasn't fake, so Tony felt happy to see it.  "By the way, did you guys figure out a way to fix Vision?  Wanda told us what happened and she wouldn't stop crying for a long time." 

"We did, actually,"  Tony said.  He pointed across the clearing towards Vision and Wanda.  "Shuri managed to do it, actually.  She's brilliant; you two would be good friends."  Peter smiled at the sight of Vision and Wanda.  Wanda was crying (pretty much everyone was at this point) and Vision was holding her tightly.  Peter didn't want to intrude on them either, so he looked away. 

"Mr. Stark?"  Peter asked.  Tony looked down at him.  "Do you think we could get some food?  I guess it's been two years since I've last eaten and I'm just now realising how hungry I am." 


	3. Chapter 3

King T'Challa ordered a feast at the palace.  Peter was not the only one from the soul stone who was starving and right after he had hugged and kissed his sister, his mother, Nakia, and Okoye multiple times, he then asked for a feast.  Of course, the Wakandans were more than willing to prepare a meal for the missing King and when he asked for enough to feed everyone, they were even more excited.  It wasn't everyday they got to serve the ones who helped defeat Thanos.  The news of their success had traveled quickly once people started seeing others reappear. 

The dining hall was full of heroes eating all they could.  Peter hadn't spoken since the food came out, too busy eating to answer any questions by any means other than nodding.  Tony didn't blame him.  They kid ate nearly every hour and had just come from a place where he hadn't eaten in two years.  If he had been anywhere other than the soul stone, he probably would have died within the first two days.  

"Slow down, Peter,"  T'Challa chuckled.  Peter's face turned red and he slowed down just a bit.  "There's plenty of food and it won't go away.  Besides, there's dessert."  Peter's face lit up at the thought of desert and he wiped his mouth. 

"Chocolate cake?"  he asked.  T'Challa shrugged. 

"Probably,"  he replied.  Peter lit up even more and pushed his plate away. 

"I'll wait, then,"  he said.  T'Challa shook his head with a smile and returned to his conversation with Shuri.  Peter didn't last more than two minutes before he continued devouring his plate.  He did, however, manage to refrain from grabbing more food.  This was only because he spotted the chefs bringing desert out.  He waited impatiently for them to put some desert close enough to him he could get some and was happy to discover the chocolate cake was place right in front of him. 

"Now, you can't eat all of that,"  Tony warned.  Peter cut himself a large piece and put it on a clean plate.  "You have to share with others."  Peter frowned but it quickly disappeared when he looked back down at his chocolate cake.  He took a big bite and almost passed out at how good it was.  

"This is the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted,"  he moaned.  He quickly finished the piece of cake, getting the rich frosting all over his mouth.  He went to grab another piece, glancing to make sure Tony was thoroughly distracted before cutting another big piece and putting it on his plate.  When Tony turned back to see Peter with another huge piece of cake, he frowned. 

"You're gonna get diabetes,"  he said.  Peter shrugged and melted into his chair as he ate a bite of his cake. 

"Worth it,"  he said happily.  Tony rolled his eyes and decided to try a bit of the cake himself.  He took a piece much smaller than Peter had and bit into it.  "Isn't it amazing?"  Peter asked, mouth full of chocolate.  Tony nodded and quickly finished his piece.  He only didn't take another one because he spotted strawberry shortcake down the table and had Steve give him a piece. 

* * *

Although T'Challa had enough guest rooms for everyone to have their own, he was not surprised to discover most everyone wanted to stay together.  Shuri, Nakia, W'Kabi, Okoye, and his mother Ramonda were camped out in his room. W'Kabi and Okoye had made his couch into a bed while Shuri and Nakia sat on his bed. Ramonda had set up her own bed near his.  The Guardians simply asked for a room with two beds and a couch then they all happily divided up their own sleeping arrangements.  The Avengers were given a large room with three beds, a couple couches, and plenty of extra blankets for those that were sleeping on the floor.   Doctor Strange and Wong joined the Avengers. 

"Dibs on a bed!"  Tony called as he walked in.  Natasha rolled her eyes but raced towards another one. 

"If you have a bed, you'll have to share,"  Steve told them.  Tony scoffed but had every intention of not letting Peter out of his sight, so it wasn't hard for him to say yes when the kid shyly asked if he could sleep with him. 

"I will not sleep,"  Wanda said quietly to Steve when he offered her and Vision the last bed.  "You can have the last bed."  Steve frowned, but he was sure very few others would be sleeping as well.  They were most likely claiming beds more as places they would sit as they stayed up all night rather than actually sleep in.  Bucky and Sam fought over the couch.  Sam successfully won when he managed to shove Bucky off who tripped over Bruce on the floor.  Bucky glared at him and sat on the bed Steve was on. 

"Enjoy your ratty couch,"  Bucky said.  Sam rolled his eyes and made a show of laying the couch out into a bed then spreading over it.  He yelled when Rhodey sat on him, though.  Bucky smirked and Sam glared. 

"Play nice, kids,"  Natasha muttered.  She was busy texting Clint, promising him they were all fine and telling him they would all be at the Compound in a few days. 

"All in favor of playing a game?"  Sam asked.  Not even Steve tried to convince them to go to bed when everyone raised their hands.  He knew they would eventually have to sleep, but no one wanted to wake up in a room full of their teammates screaming from a nightmare.  Steve wasn't going to make them, either, because he was sure he would be one of the first. 


	4. Chapter 4

The Avengers stayed up all night playing Monopoly.  They had asked one of the palace workers if they had it after arguing over what to play.  They had agreed that if the palace had it, they would play it.  Ten minutes later, they were all playing Monopoly.  The night was spent around the board, some people in teams of two while others played as themselves.  Peter had dozed off a couple of times, but each time his head dropped, he snapped back awake. No one said anything about it, though, and Peter was glad. They ended up playing two rounds before the sun had risen and they decided to leave their room.  

"Mr. Stark?  Are we going back to New York today?"  Peter asked as they walked down the hall.  Tony shrugged. 

"I'd imagine we'd either go back today or tomorrow,"  he answered.  "There's a lot of clean up that needs to be done." 

"Aw man,"  Peter groaned.  "I hate cleaning." 

"I know,"  Tony said, smirking at him.  "I've seen your room."  Peter rolled his eyes and elbowed Tony.  Tony laughed and slung an arm over Peter's shoulders.  Two years without the kid had really made him realise how much he enjoyed his stupid little comments and general presence. 

Breakfast was just as big as dinner had been.  The Guardians were the last ones to arrive and once everyone had sat down, the kitchen workers brought out the food.   Peter waited for a plate of the waffles to be place close enough to him he could reach himself, but he didn't have any luck.  Tony was busy talking to T'Challa who was sitting across from him.  Unfortunately, Tony was also the closest to the waffles and Peter was starving.  Even T'Challa had managed to give his sister a waffle as he spoke! 

"Can I get a waffle?"  Peter asked.  Tony didn't seem to hear him.  "Can I  _please_  get a waffle?"  Shuri nearly spewed waffle everywhere.  That was enough to distract Tony and T'Challa from their conversation as they both turned to look at her.  She pointed to Peter who suddenly forgot about wanting a waffle. 

"Was that a vine reference?"  she asked.  Peter's confused expression turned into one of happiness and he grinned wildly before nodded.  "Oh my god!  T'Challa!  I've made a new friend!" 

"Good for you, Shuri,"  T'Challa said, sounding not that interested.  "Now can you please clean up your waffle spit?"  Shuri rolled her eyes and Peter asked Tony for a waffle (again).  Tony grabbed him one and he happily put it on his plate before drowning it in syrup.  The rest of breakfast, Shuri and Peter talked while T'Challa and Tony tried to continue their conversation.  They were regularly distracted by Shuri and Peter's laughter, though, and ended up giving up part way through. 

* * *

Apparently the Avengers were going back to New York that day.  Much to Tony's surprise, he had a hard time tearing Peter away from Shuri.  She yelled after him, handed him a Kimoyo bead bracelet, telling him it was an easy way to get ahold of her.  He happily thanked her, hugging her briefly, then raced after Tony onto the quinjet.  The trip back wasn't long, but Peter couldn't stop bouncing the entire time.  Tony suggested he get up and walk around a couple times, but that only caused Peter to launch into a whole explanation of how walking wouldn't help. 

"I'll just keep bouncing,"  he said excitedly.  Tony nodded, one eyebrow raised as he watched Peter's knee bounce up and down.  "I'm excited to see Aunt May.  Do you think she's gonna kill me?  I mean, I've been gone for two years and unless you told her what happened—which I highly doubt because then she would have killed you—she's going to kill me and I've already kinda died once and I'm not really excited to do it again so—" 

"Alright,"  Tony interrupted.  He hadn't missed the kid's unceasing talk (which was definitely a lie).  "I think walking around actually would help.  Go run eight laps."  Peter nodded and shot up from his seat.  He raced around the main area of the quinjet which wasn't very big.  When he returned, he wasn't even breathless.  Tony sent him out to run another twelve and this time he came back looking a little more tired. 

"Mr. Stark?"  Peter asked, sitting down beside him.  His breaths were just the slightest bit uneven from all the running.  "Do you think she's actually okay?  Like, what if she got hurt during the battle?" 

"I'm sure your aunt is fine,"  Tony assured him.  Peter didn't look very convinced.  "She's a tough woman.  Do you really think she'd let you die and not get scolded?"  Although the reminder that Peter had sort of died wasn't a happy one, Tony didn't know what else to say. 

"Good point,"  Peter said, nodding and looking a little reassured.  "I'm in so much trouble." 


	5. Chapter 5

Natasha landed the quinjet right outside the Avengers facility.  Surprisingly, it had remained completely untouched during the battle.  The worst thing that had happened to it was that all the plants had died and the place was covered in dust.  Tony quickly set his bots out to fix that, though.  At Peter's immediate request, he also went into the garage and started one of his cars.  He wasn't sure how far he would be able to drive before he came across destroyed roads, but he figured driving was probably better than flying the kid home.  First, though, Peter changed out of his suit and into some spare clothes he had left at the Compound. 

"Let's go, kid!"  Tony called, honking the horn.  Peter came running out of the Compound and tossed his backpack into the backseat.  He jumped in the passenger seat and Tony shot out of the driveway and towards Queens.  He didn't like the idea of Peter being out of sight and out of reach, but he knew Peter could contact him if anything went wrong and May would be there to take care of him too. 

"I wonder if she looks different,"  Peter said.  "Do I look different?  Do you think she'll recognise me?  What if she doesn't and thinks I'm some stranger?" 

"You look the exact same as you did in fifth grade, don't worry,"  Tony replied.  Peter glared at him and he just smirked.  Peter rolled his eyes and continued to wonder aloud what it would be like to finally be back with Aunt May.  Tony didn't mind the constant chatter.  He knew he would be without Peter after dropping him off with his aunt and would miss the kid's endless talking, so he let him think out loud as they drove to Queens and parked outside Peter's apartment complex. 

The neighbourhood was untouched.  Most of New York had been fixed after the battle, but there were still sights that were obviously where battles took place.  Thankfully, Peter's neighbourhood was still intact and he could see people walking around inside.  Peter took a deep breath and reached back for his backpack.  Tony asked if Peter wanted company, but Peter shook his head.  It was best if he did it alone, probably.  He promised to call Tony later that night before he went to bed and stepped out of the car. 

"See you tomorrow, kid,"  Tony said.  Peter grinned and nodded.  He waved to Tony as he shot across the street and into the apartment complex.  Tony waited until he was out of sight to turn around and return to the Tower.  Pepper had said she would wait for him there.  While it had been destroyed during Thanos's two year reign, Pepper had brought in a construction crew to rebuild it.  Tony had never been happier to see the Stark sign at the top light up after calling Pepper to say he was within sight of the Tower. 

* * *

Peter walked into his apartment building and all but ran to the elevator.  He bounced slightly as he rode it up to his floor then ran down the hall.  He took a deep breath then knocked on the door.  No one answered.  Peter twisted the knob and found it unlocked.  He walked inside, but the apartment was dark and he couldn't hear Aunt May anywhere.  He frowned and walked further into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. 

"May?"  he called.  No response.  He saw a note on the table and walked over to it.  He picked it up and skimmed over it:  _At work.  I'll be home at 9pm.  Love you! - May._   Peter smiled and set the note back down.  She was okay!  She was just at work as usual.  How she knew he would be returning today, he had no idea.  He figured Tony had probably called ahead to let her know. 

Peter walked into his room and found it exactly how he left it.  His window had been shut, though, so Aunt May had been in his room.  He walked over to his comics and picked one up.  It was dusty, so he brushed it off then sat on his bed.  It had been a long time since he'd read comics.  He turned on the lamp by his bed and began to re-read his comic books.  He wanted to stay up until Aunt May got back and what better way to do that than read comic books that he hadn't seen for two years?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Panic attack. I'll put this symbol # at the end when it it safe to read for those who might have problems reading a panic attack.

Aunt May didn't return at 9pm.  When Peter looked up from his last comic book to see it was 10:37pm, he frowned.  If Aunt May knew he was returning that day, why was she late?  She was rarely late anyway unless there was an emergency at work.  Peter put his comic book away and walked back into the living room.  New York was dark, but he turned on the lights in the living room and he was able to see around the room without using his spider senses.  Everything was still untouched.  Even the note Aunt May had left was still sitting on the table.  Peter suddenly felt his heart drop.  Hadn't May written him a note the day he left, too?  Peter ran to the fridge and pulled it open.  The smell of old food flooded his senses and he slammed the door shut.  He stumbled backwards into the table and knocked a chair over.  He jumped at the sound and felt tears tickle his eyes.  This wasn't happening.  May was fine.  Tony had said she would be fine.  Why wasn't she here? 

"May!"  Peter yelled.  His breathing became laboured and his throat felt dry.  "May!  It's not funny anymore!"  The tears in his eyes started down his cheeks and his body felt like it was on fire.  "May!"  Peter screamed, falling to the ground as he became dizzy.  He spotted his backpack at the end of the counter and stumbled towards it.  He continued to cry and breath heavily as he crawled towards his backpack.  He fumbled his phone out of his backpack, hands shaking.  He barely managed to open the phone app and speed dial Tony.  Even though it was nearly 10:45pm, Tony answered right away. 

"Hey, kid,"  he said.  Peter couldn't respond.  He choked back a sob, but Tony heard it.  "Peter?  What's going on?  Talk to be, kiddo."  Peter couldn't do anything but sob and look around his apartment frantically.  "Peter?  I can't help if you don't talk to me." 

"May,"  he gasped.  He let out another sob and Tony cursed. 

"Alright,"  Tony said.  He was already in the air and five minutes away from Peter's apartment.  He had gotten in his suit as soon as he heard Peter's first sob.  "I'm on my way.  Take deep breaths; follow me.  Can you tell me five things you can see?"  Tony made sure Peter could clearly hear his slow breathing over the phone and Peter struggled to follow along. 

"Chair,"  he gasped.  He took a few more deep breaths before continuing.  "Microwave.  Oven.  Toaster."  He gasped and Tony reminded him to breath deep and slow, following Tony's lead.  "And the door,"  Peter finished.  

"Good,"  Tony said.  "Four things you can smell?"  Tony asked.  Peter continued to follow Tony's breathing as he searched for things he could smell. 

"Bread.  Bananas,"  Peter said.  "Peanut butter and the fridge."  That sent Peter into another panic and his breathing went from being almost calm back to laboured. 

"Focus on me, Peter,"  Tony demanded.  He was only a minute away now.  "Who are you favorite three Avengers?"  Tony asked, breathing deeply.  Peter struggled to match his breathing to Tony's again and before he could breath enough to answer, Tony burst through the door.  He dropped out of his suit and knelt down beside Peter. 

"Mr. Stark,"  Peter stuttered out.  Tony nodded and reached for Peter's hand.  He put it on his chest and told Peter to breath with him. 

"Favorite three Avengers?"  Tony asked again.  Peter didn't take his eyes off Tony as he focused on breathing.  

"You,"  Peter said first.  Tony nodded, encouraging Peter to continue.  "Captain America and Black Widow.  She's really cool." 

# # # # #

"She is, isn't she?"  Tony agreed.  Peter nodded.  "Now, who are your two best friends?" 

"Ned and MJ,"  Peter answered without hesitation.  "I miss them." 

"I know, kiddo,"  Tony said.  He noticed Peter's breathing was now back to normal and released Peter's hand.  Peter looked away from Tony and folded his hands into his lap.  "Now, how about you tell me what happened.  You'll be okay; I'm right here."  Peter nodded but didn't rush to answer. 

"Aunt May isn't here,"  he whispered.  Tony looked around the apartment as if just noticing that.  To be fair, he had been focused on Peter from the moment he first heard the kid's broken cry.  "I came in and saw a note on the counter saying she'd be back at 9pm, but it was from the day I disappeared.  She's not here."  His breathing started to pick up again but Tony had him match his breathing to Tony's and he quickly calmed down. 

"Are you sure she isn't just out of town?"  Tony asked.  If May had been caught in the crossfire of a battle and Peter had lost his last living relative, Tony would never forgive himself. 

"The fridge,"  Peter said, pointing limply at it.  "Everything is moldy.  It's been there for years."  His voice cracked and more tears raced down his cheeks. 

"No, I'm sure she's fine,"  Tony said.  Peter shook his head fiercely. 

"She's not,"  he said.  "May would never let food mold."  Tony sighed, knowing Peter was right.  Not knowing what else to do, he pulled Peter into a hug and sat with him on the kitchen floor while he cried himself to sleep.  Tony couldn't do anything but listen to Peter's sobs, each one tearing at his heart and begging him to do something.  Instead, he just sat there, holding Peter and wishing they could have stopped Thanos from ever coming to earth. 


	7. Chapter 7

Tony took Peter back to the Tower.  Once Peter had fallen asleep, Tony got back into his Iron Man suit and picked Peter up.  He flew back to the Tower with Peter in his arms and wasn't surprised to find Pepper waiting up for him.  They had been on their way to bed when he got the call, leaving almost immediately and without explanation.  She had known who he was rushing to when he answered with 'hey, kid'.  She frowned when she saw Tony carrying Peter, though.  Wasn't May supposed to take care of him?  She had nothing against Peter, but she figured the kid would want to stay with his Aunt once he got back. 

"Is his room good?"  Tony asked softly.  Pepper nodded and Tony walked down the hall to the room he had designed and had built specifically for when Peter stayed the night.  It was right across the hall from Tony's so if Peter had nightmares, he could easily find Tony. 

"What happened?"  Pepper whispered, standing the the doorway.  Tony carefully laid Peter on his bed then deactivated his suit.  He pulled the blankets up to Peter's chin and sighed. 

"His Aunt,"  Tony said.  He tore his eyes away from Peter to look at Pepper.  "There's no confirmation, but the apartment hasn't been lived in for at least a year."  Pepper nodded sadly and Tony turned back to look at Peter.  He didn't feel like he could just leave him alone in his room.  Even if the door was open and he turned on a nightlight, Peter was still likely to have a nightmare and wake up. 

"You want to stay with him,"  Pepper noted.  Tony nodded, but he knew Pepper understood.  She walked into the room over to where Tony was standing beside Peter's bed.  He wrapped an arm around her and she kissed his cheek.  She kept her arms around him as she glanced down at Peter. 

"He shouldn't have been there, Pep,"  Tony said, closing his eyes.  Pepper gently brushed away a tear that trickled down his face and hugged him tighter.  "I should have made him go back." 

"Hey, it's okay,"  she said.  "He's okay now.  There was no way anyone was going to get out unscathed.  At least he's not dead."  She grimaced at her own words seconds after they escaped her mouth. 

"Not anymore,"  Tony reminded her.  She sighed and reached for his hand. 

"We're right across the hall if he needs us,"  she said.  Tony nodded, but continued to watch Peter sleep.  Pepper gently tugged on his hand and he followed her out of Peter's room.  He had FRIDAY turn on a nightlight in Peter's room and the hall so nothing was dark when Peter woke up from a nightmare.  Both bedroom doors remained wide open and Tony told FRIDAY to alert him if Peter woke up and didn't immediately come find Tony.  After making sure Peter was okay once again, Tony climbed into his bed beside Pepper and fell asleep staring across the hall at Peter. 

* * *

_Everything was white.  Peter blinked rapidly at the bright light.  He sat up, looking around for something that would indicate where he was.  There was nothing but white, though.  No one within sight and he couldn't hear anything.  He got to his feet and pulled on his mask.  Nothing happened.  Karen didn't respond when he asked for her and he frowned.  Karen was always there._

_"Hello?"  Peter yelled.  His voice echoed but no one responded.  Shrugging, Peter starting walking forward.  He had nothing else to do; might as well see if this entire place was white or if there was something around.  He walked and walked for what felt like days before coming across a difference in the landscape.  The white turned to brown which turned to grass.  He grinned and began to run across the grass towards the people he saw in the distance.  He was so focused on getting to what looked like a battle that he tripped over a log and sprawled out face first on the ground.  He groaned and glanced back at the log only to discover it wasn't a log.  It was May._

_Peter scrambled over and knelt down beside her.  He shook her, but she didn't move.  She was covered in fresh blood that stained Peter's hands every time he touched her.  He yelled for her to wake up, but her eyes remained open and motionless.  Peter screamed and dropped his head onto her unmoving chest.  He let out a sob and clung to her body._

_"You should have stayed with her like I said, Peter,"  a voice said from behind him.  Peter looked up from May, his face blood stained and covered in tears, to see Tony standing behind him.  His face plate was up and his face screamed disappointment.  "She wouldn't be dead if you had just stayed with her!"  Peter covered his ears tightly as Tony repeated his sentence over and over again.  Peter tried to block out Tony's voice, but it seemed to grow louder and louder until Peter couldn't take it anymore.  He closed his eyes and screamed for all he was worth._

"Peter!"  Pepper cried, shaking him awake.  Peter's eyes flew open and Pepper jumped back.  He ripped the blankets off of himself and threw his legs over his bed.  He was shaking as tears cascaded down his cheeks and he choked down sobs.  He spotted Tony running through the doorway from the living room, tears also streaming down his cheeks. 

"Mr. Stark,"  Peter whimpered.  Tony was at his side in an instance and Peter threw his arms around Tony.  "I—the soul stone—May—"  Peter stopped trying to explain and just clutched at Tony tightly.  Pepper knelt down beside them and rubbed Peter's back.  They stayed on the floor until Peter had stopped crying.  He kept his arms around Tony and Tony refused to let him go. 

"How about some hot chocolate?"  Pepper asked quietly.  Peter looked up at her and nodded.  She ran her hand through his hair then stood up.  "Come on.  Both of you."  Tony stood up first and Peter followed.  They sat down on the couch and Pepper walked into the kitchen.  She had already made hot chocolate for herself and Tony after he'd had a nightmare, but she hadn't brought them into the living room before Peter's screaming distracted her.  She quickly heated theirs up and made one for Peter then took all three mugs into the living room. 

"Did you have a nightmare too, Mr. Stark?"  Peter asked.  He took a mug from Pepper and thanked her.  Pepper sat on Tony's other side, handing Tony his mug. 

"Yeah, kid,"  Tony sighed, rubbing Peter's back.  Peter was curled up against his side, sipping his hot chocolate carefully.  "Sucks being superheroes, doesn't it?"  Tony chuckled then sighed again and took a sip of his hot chocolate as well. 

"Yeah,"  Peter agreed quietly.  "It does." 


	8. Chapter 8

Pepper was the only one to return to bed after both nightmares.  Tony and Peter stayed up in the living room watching Star Wars and eating popcorn.  Around 6am, Peter suggested they make Pepper breakfast and Tony agreed.  After all, she had been up with them both last night after they both had nightmares within minutes of each other.  Since Peter was better at cooking, Tony let him work at the stove while he chopped up strawberries.  Peter made chocolate chip and regular pancakes then made eggs.  By the time Pepper walked into the kitchen, Tony had finished chopping the strawberries and Peter had everything else prepared. 

"What's this?"  Pepper asked after kissing Tony quickly.  Peter covered his eyes and Tony rolled his eyes.  Once he saw Peter had uncovered his eyes, he quickly kissed Pepper again and Peter squealed. 

"Nasty!"  he said.  Pepper gave Tony a look and he grinned at her.  "We made you breakfast,"  Peter said, answering Pepper's question.  

"I can see that,"  Pepper replied.  "What's the occasion?"  She took a strawberry out of the bowl and Tony scowled at her. 

"Because you were really nice to us last night after we had nightmares,"  Peter told her shyly.  Pepper smiled and thanked him. 

"I helped too!"  Tony said.  Peter raised an eyebrow.  "I cut the strawberries." 

"Yeah,"  Peter snorted.  "And it took you the entire time it took me to cook both kinds of pancakes and the eggs."  Pepper laughed and Tony glared at her. 

"Are we gonna eat or just bully me?"  Tony asked.  Peter grinned and grabbed a plate to fill with pancakes. 

* * *

Later that afternoon, Pepper had to go to Stark Industries to finish up some work.  That left Tony and Peter alone in the penthouse.  It didn't take long for them to come up with something to do.  It wasn't fun like going to get donuts, though.  Instead, Tony suggested they go ask all the local authorities and funeral homes to see if any recognised May's photo.  It was possible she had fled town in a hurry, so they were going to go out and find her.  Peter found a good photo of her on his phone as they drove to the nearest police station then set it as his background so it would be easy to access.  He smiled down at the happy memory; his 16th birthday.  Tony had taken the photo of him and May before he blew out his cake candles.  It was actually the last photo he had of her.  

"Ready, kid?"  Tony asked, parking in front of the sheriff's office.  Peter nodded and they got out of the car.  When they walked inside, the receptionist greeted them. 

"What can I do for you?"  she asked. 

"I'd like to talk to the sheriff and any other officers in today that would have worked on cleaning up the city after the battle,"  Tony said.  The receptionist asked why and he explained they were looking for someone.  

"I'm sorry, we don't keep track of everyone that comes through,"  the receptionist said.  Peter stepped forward. 

"Please,"  he begged.  "I just want to see if they recognise a photo of her."  The receptionist seemed skeptical, but let them back to talk to the officers.  None of them recognised May, though, and Tony and Peter were sent to another office. 

"They played a bigger part in the cleanup and rescue,"  the sheriff told them.  Tony thanked him and they climbed back into the car.  They drove to multiple different police stations, a couple fire stations, multiple search and rescue centres, and even stopped by multiple morgues and funeral homes.  It wasn't until they showed the photo of May to a woman at the last search and rescue centre that someone recognised her. 

"Yeah, I found her buried under some ruble,"  the woman said.  Peter's face lit up only to darken again when he realised that probably meant she was dead.  "She was alive, but barely.  I had her rushed to St. Margaret's Hospital on Third and that's all I know about her."  Tony thanked her and they were about to leave, but she stopped them.  "The hospital might not recognise her, but I have a photo of what she looked like when we found her.  We took photos of everyone without identification so family members could find them.  I'll print it off real quick." 

"Thank you so much, ma'am!"  Peter said.  The woman smiled at Peter and walked over to the printer.  She waved the photo so it would dry quicker then handed it to Tony.  Tony took it from her, but refused to show Peter the photo.  May looked very injured and Tony wasn't sure he wanted Peter to see that. 

"Good luck,"  the woman said, waving as they left.  Peter happily got into the car and Tony slipped the photo in the pocket on his door.  He pulled out of the search and rescue parking lot and drove towards St. Margaret's Hospital.  Peter jumped out of the car and couldn't keep the grin off his face as they walked into the hospital.  Tony explained to the receptionist that they were looking for someone search and rescue had brought in. 

"Did they come in with a name?"  the receptionist asked.  Tony shook his head. 

"It would have been a Jane Doe,"  he said.  "About 43.  Here's a photo."  He slid the photo over to the receptionist and sent Peter to the vending machine to get some chips.  The receptionist searched through the computer until she came across May's profile.  It was nearly two years old. 

"I'm sorry,"  the receptionist said.  Peter came bouncing back over with a bag of Doritos.  He was grinning, but stopped when the receptionist gave him a sad smile. 

"What?  Is she not on your computer?"  Peter asked.  The receptionist shook her head. 

"She is,"  she said.  Peter frowned.  "I'm afraid she passed away on April 7 over a year ago.  Her injuries were too much and she didn't survive surgery."  Peter dropped his bag of Doritos and looked up at Tony. 

"Can we go home?"  he whispered.  Tony nodded and cleaned up the mess of Doritos quickly.  He thanked the receptionist and guided Peter back out to the car.  It wasn't until they got back to the Tower and Pepper asked how things had gone that he started crying. 


	9. Chapter 9

It had taken three days to find out where May had been buried.  When they finally found the location, Peter bought seven bouquets of flowers and laid them all at her grave.  Tony stayed with him all day at the cemetery.  He stayed back near the car while Peter sat in front of her grave and cried.  He told her about what had happened in space and how he was sorry for leaving.  He apologised for not being able to give her a proper funeral and for being reckless and getting himself killed.  He promised to make Pepper properly punish him so May wouldn't feel like he would get away with it.  After he had told her everything, he slowly got to his feet and returned to Tony. 

"We can go now,"  he mumbled.  Tony pocketed his phone and nodded.  "Sorry I kept you out here for so long." 

"It's alright, Peter,"  Tony assured him.  "I didn't mind.  I'm more than willing to let you have quality time with your aunt."  Peter didn't respond.  He stared out the window on his way back to the Tower.  Unfortunately, May's grave was too far to take the subway or walk, so whenever Peter visited, he would have to have Tony, Pepper, or Happy drive him.  He felt bad about making them spend so long out there just so he could talk to his aunt, but they all promised they didn't mind and were more than willing to take him. 

When they arrived at the Tower, Tony told Peter he would be up in a minute.  Peter nodded and got out of the car while Tony quickly texted someone.  Peter trudge towards the elevator and numbly rode upstairs to the penthouse.  He kicked off his shoes and stumbled into the living room.  It took him a couple seconds before he processed who sat in front of him.  They had both stopped talking when they saw Peter enter, but Peter didn't immediately notice them.  His face lit up when he recognised the two people in front of him. 

"Ned!  MJ!"  Peter exclaimed.  They jumped up from the couch and Peter hugged them both at the same time.  He struggled to put an arm around each one, but they just laughed and hugged him back.  Ned was sobbing grossly when he pulled away and Peter had to release Michelle so he could properly hug Ned.  The only reason he wasn't crying was because he had just spent all his tears on May.  Ned didn't seem to mind that Peter wasn't crying, though.  He was mainly just glad to see his best friend was alive and unharmed. 

"I've missed you, man,"  Ned said, wiping his tears away as Peter pulled away.  

"I missed you too,"  he said.  He was about to hug Ned again, but Michelle pushed her way forward and hugged Peter.  Even she was teary eyed as she threw her arms around Peter.  She buried her face in the crook of his neck and let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. 

"You're so stupid,"  she told him.  Peter bit his lip as his body decided he was no longer out of tears.  He buried his face in her hair and gripped her tighter. 

"I'm sorry,"  he muttered.  Michelle trembled as she hugged Peter.  She was the first to pull away, but she only pulled back far enough she could see his face.  Peter removed one arm from her waist so he could wipe her cheeks and she laughed softly.  She grabbed his face and kissed him.  Peter was shocked, but immediately kissed back.  They only pulled away when Ned cleared his throat awkwardly. 

"You didn't tell me you were gonna kiss him,"  Ned told Michelle.  She glared at him and Peter smiled.  He glanced back at the elevator as it dinged to see Tony walked out.  He winked at Peter and walked down the hall to his bedroom, giving Peter and his friends some space while they were reunited.  It had taken Tony a couple of days to find them, but once he did, he had immediately invited them to the Tower to see Peter.  

"How have you guys been?"  Peter asked.  He stilled had one arm around Michelle who kept her arms loosely draped around his neck. 

"Gonna be honest, these past two years sucked,"  Ned said.  When Peter asked how, he shrugged.  "Thanos made my mom disappear so I had to move in with my dad who lives in Brooklyn."  Peter nodded.  He knew Ned's parents were divorced and Ned didn't necessarily take his dad's side in the divorce.  "But mom's back now, so that's nice." 

"What about you?"  Peter asked Michelle.  She scoffed. 

"It's been hell,"  she answered.  "My dad was killed by the Dark Order or whatever they call themselves and my mom disappeared as well.  I was left to take care of my younger siblings.  Thankfully, Ned's dad gave us a place to live." 

"Sounds like it sucked,"  Peter said.  Michelle and Ned both nodded. 

"What about you, superhero?"  Michelle asked.  Peter didn't even want to start thinking about that again.  Instead, he removed himself from Michelle's arms and walked into the kitchen. 

"Do you guys want food?"  he asked.  He opened the fridge and pulled out a container full of the leftover strawberries.  "Mr. Stark cut up a lot of strawberries for breakfast this morning and we have a ton of leftovers.  We also have pancakes and eggs from breakfast."  Michelle and Ned exchanged looks, very aware of what Peter was trying to do but neither wanting to force him to talk. 

"Do you have cheese and bread?"  Michelle asked, walking into the kitchen.  Peter nodded.  "Good.  I could really go for a grilled cheese.  Haven't had one of those in a while."  Peter grinned and pulled out the bread, cheese, and butter.  Ned joined them in the kitchen, sitting on a stool at the counter while Peter started up the stove so the frying pan could heat up.  Michelle buttered the bread and Peter put the sandwiches together then fried them.  All the while, Ned and Michelle informed him what happened with the schools (they had pretty much stopped once Thanos attacked) and what all had happened in New York.  Peter was mostly distressed about the school thing, wondering what that meant for college. 

"Oh please,"  Ned said.  "Colleges are just giving basic tests.  You do have to be 18, though, and they do look at your previous records if they can find them." 

"Most colleges aren't running yet, though,"  Michelle said.  She grabbed three small plates and Peter put a sandwich on each one.  "The ones that are aren't very good.  I think I'm just gonna wait to apply until they have good colleges back up and the education is actually good." 

"She's waiting for Harvard,"  Ned whispered loudly.  Michelle rolled her eyes and Peter chuckled. 

"Well, now that Thanos is gone, things are going to be getting back to normal, right?"  Peter asked.  He took a bite of his sandwich as Ned nodded. 

"They should, anyway,"  Ned said. 


	10. Chapter 10

When Peter asked if Michelle and Ned could stay the night, Tony didn't hesitate in saying yes.  He ordered pizza to the Tower and the three of them sat in the living room talking until late into the night.  Eventually, they moved into Peter's room and shut the door so Tony and Pepper wouldn't be interrupted by their talking.  Pepper brought extra blankets and air mattresses for Ned and Michelle to sleep on then made sure Peter was going to be okay before going to bed.  She hoped he wouldn't have any nightmares, but she knew his friends would be helpful if he did.  It would just be embarrassing for him if he woke up sobbing and Ned and Michelle woke up too. 

"So, how did you guys kill Thanos?"  Ned asked after setting up his bed.  He looked up at Peter and Michelle who were laying on Peter's bed.  Ned was laying on his bed beside Peter's and they laid across Peter's bed with their feet sticking off the edge. 

"Yeah,"  Michelle said.  She turned to Peter, propping her head up with one arm.  "And why haven't we seen you in two years?  You missed you're 17th and 18th birthday."  Peter laughed nervously and neither Michelle nor Ned missed it. 

"I don't actually know how they killed Thanos,"  Peter told them.  He played with his hands and avoided looking at both of his friends.  "Mr. Stark and I ended up in space with a wizard—his name is Doctor Strange and he was really cool.  Then these good aliens joined us but when we tried to fight Thanos, we ended up failing.  After that, I kind of turned to dust and apparently spent the last two years in one of the infinity stones with everyone else that disappeared."  Ned and Michelle just blinked at him.  Michelle was the first one to respond. 

"Okay, what?"  she asked.  Peter gave an awkward smile and nodded.  "You mean to say you died two years ago and you didn't bother to tell us?" 

"I mean, I kinda couldn't,"  Peter muttered.  Michelle was not having it. 

"Peter!  I mean, sure we thought you were dead after not hearing anything about Spider-Man for two years, but we didn't actually think that,"  Michelle said.  Finally, Ned seemed to come to his senses and joined Michelle in scolding Peter. 

"Yeah, man,"  he said.  "You're supposed to tell us these things."  Peter rolled his eyes. 

"I am telling you,"  he replied.  "I just did, didn't I?"  

"You should have told us sooner,"  Michelle mumbled.  

"Sorry,"  Peter said sarcastically.  They dropped the subject and sat in silence for a while.  After a while, Ned asked what it felt like when he turned to dust.  Peter gave him a sharp look and Ned's eyes widened.  He raised his hands in surrender. 

"Sorry!  I just, no one else seems to remember it and I wanted to know what it was like being trapped in an infinity stone,"  Ned said.  This caught Peter's attention.  The others couldn't remember it?  Why not?  If he remembered it, surely the others should have.  Maybe it was something that non-enhanced people couldn't handle?  He would have to ask Sam if he remembered anything from it.  It seemed unfair that everyone else could forget the horrible experience of living in the soul stone was like. 

"Do you remember?"  Michelle asked.  Peter dropped his head and nodded.  Michelle and Ned glanced at each other.  "Was it bad?" 

"Can we stop talking about it?"  Peter asked anxiously.  He looked back up at his friends who nodded.  "Great." 

* * *

The next morning, Pepper walked into Peter's room to wake the three of them up for breakfast.  She opened the door slowly and stopped short when she saw the three friends.  All of them were curled up on Peter's bed with Peter in the middle.  Michelle was wrapped up in his arms and Ned was laying on his back, taking up half the bed.  Michelle and Peter looked more like one person by how tangled they were and Pepper smiled.  She shut the door and walked back into the kitchen.  When she told Tony how she found the three, he smiled then frowned. 

"FRIDAY?  Did Peter have a nightmare last night?"  Tony asked.  He knew there was no way they just happened to all fall asleep together. 

"Yes, sir,"  FRIDAY replied.  Pepper frowned as she took a bit of her omelet. 

"They all looked so peaceful,"  she said.  Tony nodded. 

"At least they were there for him,"  Tony replied.  Pepper agreed and they ate their breakfast with little talk.  Just as they finished, Ned came wandering down the hall.  He looked confused until he saw Pepper and Tony.  "Good morning, Ned,"  Tony said.  He kissed Pepper's cheek as he took her plate and put it in the dishwasher.  "Can I interest you in an omelet?"  Pepper had made enough omelets for Peter and his friends then put them in the warmer under the oven so they didn't get cold. 

"Sure,"  Ned said.  Tony grabbed a plate and put an omelet on it.  He handed Ned a fork then sent him to the table. 

"Are Peter and MJ still asleep?"  Tony asked.  Ned swallowed his bite of omelet before answering. 

"Peter is,"  he said.  "MJ is gonna stay with him until he wakes up."  Tony nodded and began to wash the frying pan.  "Is May dead?"  Ned suddenly asked.  Tony almost dropped the frying pan.  "I mean, it's just that I would have thought Peter would be with her after everything." 

"Yeah,"  Tony said sadly.  "May got caught in the cross fire of a battle."  Ned nodded solemnly and continued eating his omelet.  "Don't mention it to Peter, though.  He's still pretty upset about it." 

"No problem, Mr. Stark,"  Ned said. 


	11. Chapter 11

After Michelle had been woken up by Peter's muffled sobs, both her and Ned had crawled into the bed with Peter.  Ned had woken up and promptly went to find breakfast, but Michelle decided to wait until Peter woke up.  He wasn't usually a late sleeper, but after last night, she wasn't surprised when he didn't wake up until almost 10am.  He moaned and shifted as he woke up.  He tightened his arms around Michelle then opened his eyes, confused as to who was in bed with him.  When he saw Michelle, he gave a tired smile and tried to hide his face. 

"Come on, sleepy head,"  Michelle said, gently elbowing him.  Peter just groaned.  "Pepper made breakfast and Ned's gonna eat it all if you don't wake up soon."  Peter opened his eyes again and blinked at the light shining in through his window. 

"I'm sorry about last night,"  he muttered.  Michelle ran her fingers through his hair soothingly and he sighed.  "I didn't mean to wake you guys." 

"I know,"  she hummed.  "That's why I'm glad you did."  They stayed in bed for a few more minutes before Michelle managed to convince Peter to get up.  They walked down the hall and into the kitchen together.  Ned was finishing up his second omelet and waved when he saw them.  Peter opened the warmer and pulled out the remaining three. 

"Do you want two?"  Peter asked Michelle.  She shook her head so he handed her a plate with one omelet.  He took the other two and joined Michelle and Ned at the table.  "Do you guys have any plans for today?" 

"No,"  Michelle said, shaking her head.  Ned shook his head too.  "Why?  Do you have plans for today?" 

"Yeah,"  Peter nodded.  "You guys should come with me to pick up my stuff from May's.  I think I'm staying here now." 

* * *

Peter, Ned, Michelle, Pepper, and Tony spent the day packing up Peter's old apartment.  Pepper packed up May's room, knowing Peter wouldn't want to do that.  Peter packed up his room with Ned's help while Tony deep cleaned the fridge (fully suited in his Iron Man suit so the smell wouldn't kill him) and Michelle packed up the living room and other things.  At the end of the day, they had taken three trips to the thrift store to drop off things and two trips to the Tower to drop off Peter's things.  The apartment was bare when they left and Tony turned in the key to the front desk.  They dropped Michelle and Ned off at their respective houses before returning to the Tower for the night. 

"Peter?"  Tony asked, knocking on Peter's door.  He opened it to see Peter unpacking his things;  his clothing was already put away and now he was trying to find a place to his comic books. 

"Hey, Mr. Stark,"  Peter said, glancing back.  He put his comic books in the nightstand beside his bed.  The shelf under it was just barely big enough to hold all of them if he crammed them in tightly.  Tony walked further into Peter's room and looked around.  Star Wars posters from his old room laid on his bed, waiting to be hung up.  Funko Pop figures sat on his desk and boxes littered the floor.  Tony was actually surprised they had managed to move everything in an entire day even if it was nearing 10pm.  "Did you need me for something, Mr. Stark?  This can wait,"  Peter said, reaching for a poster and some tape. 

"No, it's okay,"  Tony said.  Peter nodded and grabbed his desk chair.  He pulled it out and climbed on top of it.  He ripped a piece of tape off and slipped the roll onto his wrist so he could easily hold it while he put a tape loop on one corner of the poster.  He ripped three more pieces then hung up to poster.  He was about to climb down when Tony spoke up.  "It's upside down,"  he said.  Peter frowned and looked at it.  Sure enough, his 'The Last Jedi' poster was upside down.  He stood back up and took the poster off the wall.  After making it right side up, he got off his chair and went to get his other poster. 

"Mr. Stark?"  Peter asked, jumping up on his bed to hang another Star Wars poster above his bed.  "How long am I gonna stay here?  Because I kinda need to know ahead of time when you kick me out so I can find a place to live."  Tony frowned.  What was Peter talking about?  Tony had no intention of ever kicking him out.  In fact, he doubted he would let Peter move out of the Tower even once he was married.  He would renovate an entire floor for Peter and his family before he let them move away.  

"Kid, I'm afraid you're stuck here forever,"  Tony said.  Peter glanced back at Tony was a confused look on his face and a piece of tape between his teeth.  He took the tape out of his mouth and twisted it into a loop.  

"What do you mean?"  Peter asked.  He stuck the tape loop to a corner of his poster and tore another piece of tape with his mouth. 

"I'm keeping you,"  Tony said bluntly.  Peter almost fell off his bed as he spun around to look at Tony.  Tony rolled his eyes at how shocked Peter seemed.  "Oh please.  You didn't think I would really kick you out?  Peter, you're like my son.  I know you're 18 and you don't legally need a guardian to take care of you, but I want you to know I don't need to sign something in order to think of you as my kid."  

"Do you really mean that?"  Peter asked softly.  Tony nodded and Peter grinned.  He dropped his poster and jumped off his bed, running to hug Tony tightly.  Tony hugged him back and smiled down at him.  "I'd be more than happy to be your son.  You're already practically my dad, Mr. Stark." 

"Well then, no more of this 'Mr. Stark' crap,"  Tony chuckled.  Peter felt his face heat up as he pulled away from Tony.  "I expect nothing less than Tony from now on." 


	12. Chapter 12

By the end of the week, Peter was all moved in and Ned and Michelle had come over two more times. Peter's room was covered in posters and just as messy as his place at May's. The only difference was that the room was much bigger and all his tech was much more advanced. Ned regularly geeked out whenever he saw Peter's new laptop and phone. He would spend hours just looking at it then watching videos so he could marvel at the quality of the images. Peter and Michelle would spend that time talking on Peter's bed. Every now and then they would watch videos with Ned, but Ned tended to watch even the most boring things just to admire how clear and crisp everything was. Peter had to admit it was all pretty cool, but at this point he was used to Tony's impressive tech. It's hard to spend a year working in the lab with the man and not get use to all the advanced tech around him. Besides, Shuri had shown him just a few of the things she had created and those were even more impressive. Ned had passed out when Peter had shown him the Kimoyo beads and demonstrated how they worked.

Over the weekend, Tony, Pepper, and Peter went to the Compound to stay with the rest of the Avengers. Clint and his family had come up for the weekend so they would be having a very relaxed get together. Even though the Compound was big, Clint's family all camped out in his room and Pepper willingly stayed in Tony's room. Peter had his own room right next to Tony's, so everyone was comfortable in their own rooms or with people they felt comfortable enough sleeping with. Steve made sure everyone knew they would be going on a hike Saturday afternoon much to Clint's family's delight and Tony's chagrin.

"I just think he should have thought about everyone when he planned this,"  Tony complained to Pepper.  She rolled her eyes and smiled at Peter who stood in the doorway.  He smiled back and Tony turned around to look at him.  "Don't you think this hike is a bad idea?" 

"I like hikes,"  Peter said.  Tony glared at him and grabbed his phone.

"Of course the enhanced ones like hikes,"  Tony muttered.  Peter chuckled and followed Tony out to the front door where Steve and Clint's family were waiting.  Soon Sam, Bucky, Natasha, Vision, and Wanda all joined them.  They loaded up into multiple suburbans and Steve led their procession out of New York City and towards their hiking destination.  Peter was thrilled to find out he would be in the same car as Steve, Bucky, and Sam.  Tony was less thrilled and Pepper didn't seem to know what she had gotten herself into.  Of course, for the entire ride Sam and Bucky argued.  Tony fell asleep half way through the trip and Peter talked to Steve excitedly.  Pepper just listened quietly from the back as Tony slept on her shoulder.

When they finally arrived at their destination an hour later, everyone tumbled out of the car and Steve sent Sam to walk around the parking lot.  Tony—after taking a nap the way there and being woken up—was in a much less enthusiastic mood than before.  He muttered to himself about how much he hated hikes and Pepper elbowed him occasionally.  Once everyone else arrived, Steve led them on their way up the hill.  Peter walked beside Steve the entire way, leaving Pepper to deal with a grouchy Tony.  Bucky and Sam annoyed each other until Natasha threatened to shoot them both.  They stopped for five minutes than started back up again.  Natasha jogged up the rest of the way and just waited for them at the top.

"Whoa,"  Peter gasped when they reached the top.  He could see across New York and almost as far as the city.  Even once Sam and Bucky got to the top, they stopped arguing to look out.  Bucky smiled and turned to Steve.

"It's a little different than a 100 years ago,"  he said.  Steve nodded.  Once the last person had seen the view, they headed back down.  Of course, Sam and Bucky raced each other and they didn't see them until the bottom where Pepper was bandaging up knees and elbows that had been skinned from the multiple falls they had both taken.  The rest of them took their time.

"I see you decided not to go,"  Steve said to Tony.  Tony looked up from where he had been watching Pepper.  Steve repeated his comment.

"Well, not everyone's a super soldier,"  Tony pointed out.  Clint walked past them with Nathaniel on his shoulders and Lila and Cooper beside him.

"My kids did fine,"  he said.  Tony rolled his eyes.  "It wouldn't have killed you."

"Whatever, Katniss,"  Tony replied.  Once Bucky and Sam were both patched up, everyone climbed back into their suburbans and headed back to the Compound for a bbq, courtesy of Steve and Clint.


	13. Chapter 13

Sunday morning, Peter woke up in his bedroom at the Compound peacefully. He stretched then blinked in confusion. He hadn't had a single nightmare that night. He had slept so peacefully, he couldn't remember dreaming at all. With a grin, he sat up in his bed and reached for his phone. He scrolled through Instagram then checked SnapChat. Once he had finished, he got up and walked into his shower. He took his time, not in any rush to get out and embrace the last "family day" the team was having. Everyone was probably just waking up as well. They didn't have anything planned for the day and Peter didn't mind. Sometimes he had the most fun when they just stayed at the Compound and hung out. He never could be sure what would happen.

Once Peter was dressed, he walked out of his bedroom and down the hall. He was surprised to find every room empty. He frowned and walked downstairs to the living room and kitchen. It wasn't nearly as quiet down there as it was upstairs. Pepper and Natasha were ordering people everywhere. Bucky and Steve were trying to hang up streamers while Bruce frosted a cake. Sam was setting the table and Vision was helping out with decorations. Clint's family was stacking what looked like presents in the living room and Nathaniel was happily chewing on some ribbon. Wanda was fast asleep on the couch, but no one paid her any attention. Tony was on the phone with someone and Rhodey was telling Sam everything he was doing wrong. Even Michelle and Ned were in the kitchen getting a bunch of food ready. When Pepper and Natasha saw Peter, they stopped talking which drew everyone's attention to him.

"Happy birthdays, Peter!" they all yelled. Wanda didn't even stir. Peter grinned and continued down the stairs.

"I didn't think you were serious," Peter told Tony. Tony shrugged and pulled Peter into a hug.

"Can't have my kid miss out on two birthdays let alone his 18th!" Tony exclaimed. Peter's smiled stayed glued to his face as everyone came up to hug him and say something along the lines of happy birthday.

"I saw food," Peter said after the last person let him go. Pepper laughed and nodded.

"It's all in the kitchen," she told him.

"You mean we can finally eat?" Sam asked. Pepper nodded and it was a mad dash into the kitchen. "We've been up since 6:30am preparing for your party thanks to Natasha. She blew an air horn down the residential hall." Peter grabbed a scone then scooped some strawberries onto his plate.

"How come I didn't wake up?" Peter asked. Sam pointed into the living room where Wanda was still passed out.

"Why do you think she's so tired?"  Sam replied.  He grabbed a scone as well and took of a quarter of his plate with blueberries.  "She was up all night making sure you didn't have any nightmares then she kept you asleep during the air horn.  She only fell asleep once you woke up and she had alerted us."  Peter was reminded then of how amazing Wanda was and made a mental note to tell her.

After they all ate breakfast, Peter was pushed into the living room to open presents.  Wanda finally woke up, but Peter felt bad and said she could go back to sleep.  She smiled sleepily at him (she hadn't been fully awake in the first place) and happily curled up to Vision and fell asleep once again.  Everyone else piled into the living room loudly and Peter grew concerned Wanda wouldn't be able to sleep.  Vision assured him she would, though, and that he was making sure nothing disturbed her.  He also said it would be the most peaceful sleep she had had in a long time.  Peter thanked Vision a dozen times before Clint interrupted him to command he open his gifts.  There were so many, though, Peter had a hard time finding one to open first.  Michelle solved that problem by grabbing one and tossing it at him.  He barely caught it and set it down in front him.

"Hope that wasn't fragile,"  she said.  Peter grinned and opened it.  None of the presents said who they were from, but everyone spoke up when Peter opened one of theirs.  At the end of all his present opening, wrapping paper surrounded him from both sides and he had a pile of new things in front of him.  They ranged from more Star Wars posters and comic books to a car and a new suit.  Of course, everyone knew Tony was responsible for the car and suit, but Peter was just as excited (if not more) to receive more Star Wars stuff.

"Thanks, everyone!"  Peter said, practically glowing with happiness.  "You're all the best!"

"We know,"  Sam said.  Tony rolled his eyes but smiled at Peter.

"Does this make up for your two birthdays?"  Pepper asked.  Peter nodded enthusiastically and everyone laughed.

"There's still one more thing,"  Tony told him.  Peter looked at him in confusion.  He had gotten everything he could have ever thought of as a present.  What else could Tony give him?  "Follow me,"  Tony said.  Peter stood up and followed Tony down to his lab.  Peter didn't know what to expect, so he just walked behind Tony silently.  Tony let him into the lab first then stood at the doorway and crossed his arms.  He just smirked at Peter who looked around the lab, even more confused than before.

"I don't get it,"  Peter finally said.  He turned back to Tony.  "What is it?"

"Go check out your work area,"  Tony instructed.  Skeptical but curious, Peter walked over towards his desk and looked down at it for something out of place.  He found a stack of papers on his desk and picked it up.  He glanced through it before turning around to face Tony with wide eyes.  "Well?"  Tony prompted.

"Is this for real?"  Peter asked, holding up the stapled papers.  Tony nodded, his smirk turning into a smile as Peter began to smile back.

"I hope that's okay,"  Tony said.  "I know you're already an adult but I pulled some strings and they managed to let me do it since you're technically still in high school.  If it's not fine, well, you're an adult so you can go change it I just thought—"  Tony was cut off by Peter hugging him tightly and jumping up and down.

"It's the best present ever!"  Peter told him.  Tony's smile grew and he hugged Peter back.

"I'm glad you like it, son,"  Tony replied.  He glanced at the papers that Peter had set back on his desk in order to hug Tony.  He could barely make out the words at the top, but he knew what they said anyway:  **ADOPTION FORM**.

"Thanks, Dad,"  Peter mumbled.

**The End**


	14. Author’s Note

Hey!  Thanks so much for reading my story.  If you liked it, please check out my other works.  Thanks for reading!


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